How does a one time Professor of English at the University of Mississippi become a highly celebrated B-movie kings as well as the "Godfather of Gore"? If you are Herschell Gordon Lewis, the transition is not only simple, it’s good business.

Early in September I was contacted by the two authors of a book entitled "Vampire Over London," a work that attempted to bring to light the 8 months that Bela Lugosi spent in England between 1951 and 1952. They wanted me to help publicize the book as they were publishing it independently. I agreed to interview the one in the United States, Frank Dello Stritto. What came from that was some fascinating insight into the secret life of Bela Lugosi.

CH: Tell us a little about your new book, "Vampire Over London."(read more...)

This 1950s Mexican import is different from many of its contemporaries because it doesn't play to the lowest common denominator. It isn't sleazy, exploitative, or silly. It's actually quite an intelligent rethinking of the Jekyll and Hyde mythos, though admittedly with a little cheese thrown in.(read more...)

Although it's able to slice through many deservedly obscure flicks with a scalpel while feeding them acid through an IV, The Surgeon, or Exquisite Tenderness as the inappropriate-sounding alternate title has it, is oddly underrated by most horror fans and deserves wider recognition.(read more...)

Salem's Lot doesn't have breathtaking cinematography, or an awe-inspiring score. There are lots of quirks in the performances. It doesn't have huge special effects. It isn't fast-paced. In fact, it moves pretty slowly most of the time. Yet I would rate it a 9 out of 10, because what Salem's Lot does have, and this is fairly unusual in a film, is a deeply engrossing story that unfolds exactly as if you were reading a book instead, and by the time the horrific material arises, Salem's Lot doesn't need to do anything too spectacular to create atmosphere and scares.(read more...)

Often deceptively simple -- and isn't that appropriate -- The Devil's Advocate is one of my favorite films from 1997, and would rank at least in my top 50 for the decade. It's yet another film that I think is best approached blindly. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest that you stop reading, watch the film, then get back to me. You just have to trust me that it's worth your time. If you ignore my advice, beware of major spoilers below. Since I'll assume that everyone still reading has already seen the film, I'll approach the rest of my review a bit differently.(read more...)

Probably infamous Italian horror "maestro" Lucio Fulci's most ridiculous film, New York Ripper ("Lo Squartatore di New York" in Italian) blandly genre hops to an awkward conclusion. The only positives are Fulci's use of gore (duh), one or two truly suspenseful scenes, and the ever-present unintentional humor.

New York Ripper opens with an older man walking his dog under the Brooklyn Bridge (now there's an unusual shot of New York City). His dog plays fetch with him, and when the stick is lost in the bushes, the dog brings back a dismembered human hand instead.(read more...)

What it may lack in atmosphere and unprecedented ideas, Urban Legends: Final Cut (ULFC) more than makes up for in (yes it's cliche for this subgenre by now) its "postmodern" self-reference which obtains on many different levels, its technical craft and its entertaining story.(read more...)

I try to approach films impartially and without preconceptions. I certainly don't read any other reviews before I see a film. I avoid articles in the film magazines if I think I'm going to see the film within a few months. I dislike seeing trailers beforehand, so I have the unusual habit (neurosis, my wife calls it) of looking away from the screen, sometimes into my popcorn box, until the trailers are over. When renting, I avoid reading plot synopses on boxes. My ideal scenario when sitting down to watch a film is to know absolutely nothing about it.(read more...)

At turns scary, suspenseful, surreal and saucy, James Isaac's directorial debut, Horror Show, a film produced by Sean Cunningham of Friday the 13th fame, is both satisfying and sadly underrated.(read more...)